MERLIN Properties Annual Report 2024

96 | Annual report | 2024 Sustainability ratings MERLIN regularly participates in various sustainability benchmark indices, which reflect the advances made by the Group and the effectiveness of the steps taken in both internal management and asset management. The Group’s rating on 5 of the 7 sustainability indices to which it applied held steady or increased in 2024 compared to 2023. Specifically, MERLIN participates in 7 sustainability indices; 3 of them— GRESB (real estate), CDP (climate change), and S&P Global (general) — consist of a questionnaire, while the other 4 — Sustainalytics (ESG risks), ISS ESG (ESG), Vigeo Eiris (general), and MSCI (general) — are based on the Group’s public reporting. MERLIN has reinforced its position on GRESB, an international benchmark that measures the environmental, social and governance performance of companies in the real estate sector, in which it has participated since 2018. The Group achieved a score of 83 points out of 100, which places it above the global average and ahead of its peers (companies classified as comparable to MERLIN). One more year, MERLIN also participated in the CDP questionnaire, which assesses the degree of a company’s commitment to climate change issues. In 2024, MERLIN obtained a rating of “B”, which means that the Group is transparent and manages climate change issues adequately. MERLIN again actively participated in the S&P CSA questionnaire, scoring 70%. This allows the Company to maintain its inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability European Index for the fourth consecutive year and retain its position in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the second consecutive year. With regard to sustainability reporting, MERLIN received the Gold Award from EPRA for the seventh year in a row. This award recognises the degree to which its S ustainability Report (formerly CSR ) is aligned with EPRA Sustainability Best Practices Recommendations. MERLIN has considerably improved its Sustainalytics ESG risk rating since 2022, positioning itself as a leader both globally and in the real estate and REIT sector, obtaining a total rating of 8.7 points and thus being included among the best rated companies worldwide.